Carson, CA - It was announced Tuesday that U.S. soccer legends Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in a ceremony that will be held on August 26 in Oneonta, N.Y. It will be the first time that an all-female class will be inducted in the Player Category.

Hamm was selected on 97.16 percent of the ballots, setting a new high for votes received. Foudy was selected on 83.69 percent of the ballots. It was both players' first ballot in which they were eligible for the award. Both athletes were pivotal members of the WNT's two FIFA Women's World Cup titles and two Olympic Gold medals during their careers.

Hamm, a native of Selma, Ala., played in 275 international matches for the U.S. while scoring a world record 158 goals and a U.S. record 144 assists. Before joining the WNT she played colligately at the University of North Carolina where she won four NCAA titles while leading the nation in scoring three times. She ended her collegiate career as the Atlantic Coast Conference's all-time leading scorer in goals (103), assists (72) and points (278). She received the award as the nations outstanding female collegiate athlete two consecutive years and was named U.S. Soccers Female Athlete of the Year five consecutive years (1994-1998). She played three years in the now defunct WUSA, leading the Washington Freedom to the championship in 2003. She was also named FIFA Womens World Player of Year twice (2001-2002).

Foudy, who captained the USA from 2000 until her retirement in 2004 is considered by many one of the greatest leaders in the history of womens sports. She played 271 times for the USA while scoring 45 goals from the midfield, good for ninth on the all-time U.S. scoring list. A southern California native, Foudy was a four-time All-American at Stanford University. She finished her college career with 52 goals and 32 assists. Foudy also played three seasons in the WUSA for the San Diego Spirit and won the 1997 FIFA Fair Play Award for her work against child labor. She was the first woman and is currently the only American to win the award.